Narrative:

Aircraft had a right generator deferred since 11 days previous to our flight. This resulted in an abnormal engine start procedure. During pushback we had '#4 engine start valve' EICAS message; necessitating an emergency procedure having to be accomplished while performing the abnormal start. While the first officer accomplished the emergency procedure; the #1 relief pilot called dispatch to contact maintenance; and I attempted to communicate with a pushback crew that spoke very poor english; to complete the pushback. A real 3 ring circus. As the aircraft came to a stop during the pushback; the push crew wanted to know the nature of our problem. Their next transmission was unintelligible due to poorly spoken english so I asked them to repeat it. Again I could not understand their poor english; and I asked for them to repeat their transmission; and again I could not understand them. Realizing that I was not going to be able to communicate with them; I informed them if they were ready they were cleared to disconnect their headsets; which they did; and we received a salute and a release from guidance signal. As the last engine to be started came up to speed; we began to move and I realized that the brakes were not set. Fortunately; nothing adverse occurred. This scenario was a classic case of distrs and poor communications leading to a deviation from SOP. Contributing to the deviation were the following: first: a failure of the company; who had more than a sufficient amount of time; to fix a problem that could lead to serious consequences. This required an international crew who is fatigued due to a previous flight and flying on the back side of the clock; to begin the pushback procedure under abnormal conditions; which led to an emergency procedure. The deferred generator was a set up for distrs in the cockpit during a critical phase of ground operations. Second: poorly spoken english by the pushback crew. Ground operations expose the crews to numerous dangers. There is no excuse for not having a pushback crew that can speak clear; intelligible english. Third: the captain must ensure that no matter what else; the aircraft must be handled first. Solution: do not start engines until the pushback is complete and the brakes are set.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW STARTED ENGS ON B747-400 AFTER PUSHBACK WITHOUT HAVING SET PARKING BRAKE.

Narrative: ACFT HAD A R GENERATOR DEFERRED SINCE 11 DAYS PREVIOUS TO OUR FLT. THIS RESULTED IN AN ABNORMAL ENG START PROC. DURING PUSHBACK WE HAD '#4 ENG START VALVE' EICAS MESSAGE; NECESSITATING AN EMER PROC HAVING TO BE ACCOMPLISHED WHILE PERFORMING THE ABNORMAL START. WHILE THE FO ACCOMPLISHED THE EMER PROC; THE #1 RELIEF PLT CALLED DISPATCH TO CONTACT MAINT; AND I ATTEMPTED TO COMMUNICATE WITH A PUSHBACK CREW THAT SPOKE VERY POOR ENGLISH; TO COMPLETE THE PUSHBACK. A REAL 3 RING CIRCUS. AS THE ACFT CAME TO A STOP DURING THE PUSHBACK; THE PUSH CREW WANTED TO KNOW THE NATURE OF OUR PROB. THEIR NEXT XMISSION WAS UNINTELLIGIBLE DUE TO POORLY SPOKEN ENGLISH SO I ASKED THEM TO REPEAT IT. AGAIN I COULD NOT UNDERSTAND THEIR POOR ENGLISH; AND I ASKED FOR THEM TO REPEAT THEIR XMISSION; AND AGAIN I COULD NOT UNDERSTAND THEM. REALIZING THAT I WAS NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEM; I INFORMED THEM IF THEY WERE READY THEY WERE CLEARED TO DISCONNECT THEIR HEADSETS; WHICH THEY DID; AND WE RECEIVED A SALUTE AND A RELEASE FROM GUIDANCE SIGNAL. AS THE LAST ENG TO BE STARTED CAME UP TO SPD; WE BEGAN TO MOVE AND I REALIZED THAT THE BRAKES WERE NOT SET. FORTUNATELY; NOTHING ADVERSE OCCURRED. THIS SCENARIO WAS A CLASSIC CASE OF DISTRS AND POOR COMS LEADING TO A DEV FROM SOP. CONTRIBUTING TO THE DEV WERE THE FOLLOWING: FIRST: A FAILURE OF THE COMPANY; WHO HAD MORE THAN A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF TIME; TO FIX A PROB THAT COULD LEAD TO SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES. THIS REQUIRED AN INTL CREW WHO IS FATIGUED DUE TO A PREVIOUS FLT AND FLYING ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE CLOCK; TO BEGIN THE PUSHBACK PROC UNDER ABNORMAL CONDITIONS; WHICH LED TO AN EMER PROC. THE DEFERRED GENERATOR WAS A SET UP FOR DISTRS IN THE COCKPIT DURING A CRITICAL PHASE OF GND OPS. SECOND: POORLY SPOKEN ENGLISH BY THE PUSHBACK CREW. GND OPS EXPOSE THE CREWS TO NUMEROUS DANGERS. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR NOT HAVING A PUSHBACK CREW THAT CAN SPEAK CLEAR; INTELLIGIBLE ENGLISH. THIRD: THE CAPT MUST ENSURE THAT NO MATTER WHAT ELSE; THE ACFT MUST BE HANDLED FIRST. SOLUTION: DO NOT START ENGS UNTIL THE PUSHBACK IS COMPLETE AND THE BRAKES ARE SET.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.